Data density

Timm said: “Many people can share one Wi-Fi network and all the passengers in an aeroplane [typically] share this one network so the data rate per passenger effectively goes down. When using Li-Fi technology, the effective data rate per passenger rises because [fewer] people share one access point. That's because every light can be an access point and by physical laws, hundreds of people can't gather under one light."

One of the features of Li-Fi is that it can’t pass through walls – unlike Wi-Fi.

This can be a benefit because it can increase security in certain applications. However, it clearly has limitations too.

aeroLifi uses a software solution which caches and buffers the data streaming to the IFE screens so if the light path is blocked for 10 or 20 seconds, viewing isn’t interrupted.